[DeFex]

this is my first post here, It looks like a good place to ask about a whacky project i am thinking of.

Its not really about floors, but it is tiling!

I have a round mosaic tiled table top, which is currently being used with some of those folding table legs. i would like to make a tiled round pedestal for it out of a piece of sonotube, (reinforced inside with 3 metal legs)

I would like to tile it with some of those glass tiles which are held together with plastic mesh, it will match the table top.

question is, will i be able to reliably stick the tiles to the cardboard sonotube with normal tile adhesive, or should i treat it or cover it with something first?

(sonotube is what think that cardboard tube they use to pour cement in to for deck foundations etc is called)


best regards
Jim

 

[Scuba_Dave]

uh...after pouring the cement (it dries) you then peel the cardboard off......

or...you are not pouring any cement?
In that case the cardboard sonotube will simply fall apart after time

Inside or outside use?

 

[DeFex]

thanks for the reply.

It is for indoor use, it wont ever get wet, that i can think of. and the cardboard would never be exposed to the elements.

Isuppose i could actually use cement, maybe i can get 2 sonotubes and make a hollow cement tube with some chicken wire "reinforcement" (so its not too heavy) then it starts to turn in to a bigger project instead of a sunday special :laughing:

 

[Scuba_Dave]

Actually the act of tiling would wet the tube
But probably not too bad & it would dry out
I'm not sure if the tile would stick to the cardboard
There must be a better way
Have you considered just a square plywood stand & tile that?

 

[DeFex]

Well i did want round because i like the look with that type of tile on a rounded surface.

but you are probably right, and plywood would negate the need for steel reinforcing legs as well.

 

[R&D Tile]

Forget it, won't work.

 

[mosaicti]

Actually, it will work. Our company used the same substrate for a trade show display. We covered the cardboard tube (cement column form) with glass mosaic tile in 2003 - we still have the display, it's been moved several times as we changed warehouse addresses over the years, and it's still in great shape.

However, Scuba Dave is also correct about the form getting wet if you use the traditional setting material for glass mosaic tiles (latex-modified thinset).
In order to avoid getting the form wet and risk it falling apart, we used a non-standard adhesive, which (fortunately) worked perfectly. Liquid Nails was the adhesive we used, then we grouted with a standard sanded grout . To be honest, I didn't think it would hold up for more than a single trade show, but 6 years later, the adhesive is still holding and the grout has not crumbled.

I believe that if you are using the tube only as an aesthetic solution, and it will not be supporting the weight of the table top, you'll get good results.

Hope this helps,
Haleigh

 

[DeFex]

mosaicti, thank you for that info.
I am going to give it a try anyways. if it doesn't work, i only lost a few hours and some leftover tiles.

eventually, when it is done, ill post a pic.